The Great Three Book Five: Awakenings
by Cougar Draven
Summary: I said I'd get this up. Sequel to Sunrise, and Part Five of Ten in the Great Three saga.
1. Chapter 1: The Transwarp Machine

The Great Three Book Five

Awakenings

Chapter 1: The Transwarp Machine

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A/N: For some reason, I'm not inclined to wait long on a story, especially when I leave an end hanging. I'm just not like that. I'm glad that I can finally start a new tale...it's long overdue. The story isn't exactly easy for me to deal with, especially since the real-life people of who these are caricatures don't really know each other in most cases, and those who do...don't get along sometimes. It really sucks. Oh well, at least I'm finally getting around to this.

Story Notes: Following the death of Fire Draven, Cougar Draven and Link of Hyrule chase after Ganondorf Dragmire into an unknown land. Kain Vengarh and Deacon Lopez wait in Hyrule with Onox and the Ikari couple, waiting for Cougar's return.

Chapter Notes: First of all, I conceived the initial paragraph first. It's not what I started with, because I'm listening to Retaliation by Dane Cook. I am an evil man. And yes, I do intend for the opening oratory to be somewhat of a history lesson. I'm teaching myself as much as you, and I'm giving the last hint about anything that will come later. There are a few revelations as to Books One and Two here, but that's really nothing compared to the second half. The story gets much bigger here on out. Also, the chapters of Awakenings will take place in both Second Earth, and Hyrule, until the very end. I couldn't just write the entire Second Earth story all at once, and then the Hylian portion, because it doesn't work that way. So I'm going to play the age card. Not like it really matters, but I wanted to say that. Also, the music does play a larger role in why the things happen the way they do, but I'm only giving small pieces of the puzzle at first. And I'll reveal more characters with every chapter. I'm writing these out of order, kind of like Star Wars. So you get the stories as if they're old already, but they're almost new to me.

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John Hetfield was born in the late 1980s. In 2002, he met Matthew Cane and Uriel Lopez. Over the course of the next three years, the three became famous as Cougar Draven, Kain Vengarh, and Deacon: The Great Three. In 2006, after the armies of Ed Delgado were defeated, the Three retired, and were frozen in cryogenics. The first records of their legends appeared in 2200, and for the next four thousand years, they were half-believed in. Roughly about the year 4000, the United States of North America and the British Isles sent colonies to the moon, and then later Mars. In the fifth year of colonization, a massive nuclear war destroys most of Earth's population, nearly decimating the human race. The fragmented human society turns to terraforming and space stations for survival. Two thousand years into the space-based society, a method for re-terraforming irradiated land is developed, and they reformed the Earth into an archaeological site. Among the artifacts on Second Earth, three cryo tubes were found. What was not known was that in that very year, a fourth and fifth cryo tube were found. Their occupants were a Sith Lord from the early twenty-first century and her apprentice. Not long after the revival of the Great Three, Delgado attacked once more. In the colonies' reckoning, the training of Cougar Draven and Kain Vengarh as Jedi began and ended in year 1999. The war, which lasted only three short months, thanks to the returning Onimusha, Deacon Lopez, took place in 2000. During the war, Cougar pored over historical texts about teleportation and time travel, which were uncommon, but possible at that time. He discovered a way towards the end of the war to combine the two sciences with one pure, tested application. He called it the Transwarp Machine, or the Machine for short. Following the mishap that sent Deacon back to the Realm of the Oni, and also following Cougar's three years as a rogue Sith Lord, the Machine went back into use, sending Kain into a land known as Kanto, and Cougar to his home in the original United States, in 2008. He attempted to pick up a life he had destroyed, but soon found himself on the trail of his ex-lover Morgain, who'd used the Machine to further her own needs. On his search, he very nearly met up with Kain, when they were in neighboring countries of Labrynna and Holodrum. Eventually, the two met up in a trans-dimensional land called Methuselah's Garden. Cougar had dealt with another Machine mishap, and created a handheld variety, which he then gave to his group of friends. Following the death of Fire Draven, Ganondorf Dragmire stole her Transwarp Machine and used it to travel. Cougar and Link, Ganon's archenemy, followed him with their Machines.

Cougar never explained the other use for the Transwarp Machine.

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"Are you out of your fucking mind?"

Link followed Cougar down a street he'd never seen, in a place he'd never been. The people intimidated him, and it seemed dim everywhere. Then he caught sight of where Cougar was headed.

"You really are out of your fucking mind!"

The crowds were made up of people of all varieties, skin and hair colors, strange clothing, and other things. However, the eight-foot-tall green-skinned madman known as Ganondorf Dragmire stood out, and Cougar was headed directly after him.

"Cougar, we can't go directly after him! We might lose him!"

"Link, he came here by chance. He doesn't know where he is. I, however, do. We got that lucky."

"Yeah? Then where the fuck are we?"

"Second Earth. Colony reckoning, about 2000."

"How the hell do you know?"

"I was trained here. This is the land of my second war."

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Ganondorf ran through the crowds. He hadn't exactly planned on coming wherever the hell he was, but he'd make it work. Besides, there was a chance that he might put enough of a barrier in between himself and Link. He also thought Cougar had come through, but he'd only seen Link before he started running.

He'd been running for two weeks. And he still hadn't reached the other dot on the map. The red dot. The one that seemed to be at the center of the city he was in.

After all, didn't another dot mean another Machine?

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Kain was impressed. In only two weeks, Onox had made radical changes to Hylian society. He had opted to retain the castle in Lon Lon, but had insisted on the destruction of Ganon's Western Castle. The surviving Gerudo were given a choice between becoming Hylian soldiers or being expelled from the country, and Deacon threatened to follow those who left. Only two did, and Deacon was only gone a single night.

Onox had begun cleaning out Lake Hylia's darker scene, and begun programs to clean up the lake. He had also put programs in to save the Lost Woods. The six Temples were given specially restricted status, with all but six people allowed to enter them, and always different. The six were Onox, Harmford, Kain, Deacon, and the Ikaris. Onox was the only one allowed to enter all six temples. The Temple of Time was deemed benign, and Gendou was allowed entry, with Yui guarding the hidden Temple of Light until Cougar restored the Triforce. The Water Temple was only accessible by Harmford, and being in the ruins of the Shadow Temple was allowed only to Kain. Deacon controlled the Spirit Temple in the desert. The Forest Temple was accessible only to Onox, as was the Fire Temple. He never visited either one, since vengeful spirits stayed there. Also, they'd never bothered to take Veran's body down. Should they return, Link would take control of the Forest Temple, and Cougar the Fire Temple. Until then, Death Mountain remained active, with the spirits of Fire and Veran battling until the end of time.

For the present, Kain and Gendou were walking along the shore of Lake Hylia, discussing life since the colonies. Gendou and Yui Ikari were both killed in a separate dimension, in something called the Human Instrumentality Project. However, in the search for able trainers that eventually unearthed Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Ikaris were raised. Gendou was telling Kain of how he came to be in Hyrule, and said he had something to share with Kain.

As he was beginning to speak, Kain's Transwarp chirped. Expecting a message from Deacon, he opened it.

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"It's been two weeks here, and if I got my times right, it's been the same there. I'm sending this to both of you, so y'all know what's up. The first thing I did when I got through was start a clock telling me how long I've been here, so I know how much later to show up there.

"It's an interesting thing. I'm on Second Earth again, only a few years later. Deacon, you disappeared in 2000 their time, but Kain, it's only CR 2005. It's only been a year and a half, and I'm getting some recognition. Unfortunately, as always, it's a bad thing. But I'll get to that.

"I'm following Ganondorf with Link, and so far, we've only managed to get within a crowd's length, but we'll get him. After all, he hasn't dropped the Transwarp yet. And we doubt he'll run forever. I've put a multi-tracker in my system, so if his signal goes off-world, I'll be able to track him, in any dimension, at any time.

"But yeah, my concern. There's another dot on the machine, and it's red. I don't know if you noticed this, but the dots are usually black. However, if you check your screens, you'll notice that Kain, your dot is gold, and Deacon, yours is two colors. Knowing you, it'll be blue and blue, so you won't notice. The colored dots are a hidden feature. This machine can detect metaphysical powers. That means the Force, boys.

"Kain, my signal shows up as a silver dot because I use a silver lightsaber. The same goes for you, with gold. Red can mean one of two things. If a Machine does not have a checklist to go against, the Dark Side of the Force is marked as red. Otherwise, there's someone at the center of New Chicago with a really fucking powerful PK. Somehow, with the history of this world, I doubt it. I'm worried. I've only known two Sith, gentlemen.

"I'll return to Hyrule in time. Wait for me, and I will come. I want to see Onox doing well. Until then, my friends, this is Cougar Draven. I'm still alive. Oh, before I forget, I'm sending you both a little somethin' somethin'. For each Temple. It'll have different effects."

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Kain felt something waver behind him, and when he turned, three bottles stood in front of him. Deacon appeared nearby carrying four identical bottles. Between the seven temples, there was one bottle. Each bottle had a label corresponding to its Temple: Time, Forest, Fire, Water, Spirit, Shadow, and Light. Each guardian was to take the bottles and open them in the room where the former guardian had rested, and leave it there. In a week, check back. The hope was that Cougar's desired effect would happen, and the bottle would be empty. However, one bottle, that for the Temple of Light, was empty already. Nobody knew what that meant, but hoped that something good would come of it.

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"So what did you send them, Cougar?"

"Six different solutions, and a seventh bottle to catch the by-products. I designed the serum primarily for the Temple of Time, then realized I could modify the serum slightly. There is only one serum which I cannot predict. And that is of the Fire Temple."

"Well, what's supposed to happen?"

"The general idea is that the Temple and the surrounding area be restored, and the Sage revived. That'll net us Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Impa, Nabooru, and Rauru. The hope is also that the Seventh Sage, Zelda Harkinian, will be resurrected when all their powers return to the seventh bottle."

"Really?"

"Yes, Link. When Morgain killed Zelda, she removed the Triforce of Wisdom. When I killed Morgain, I took it from her. I now hold one of the three. If Zelda comes back, she can have it back, if I can figure out how to let it go without my death."

"Yeah, I understand that. So, what are we going to do about Ganon?"

"For now, nothing. Let the monster think he's winning for now, and then we'll make sure he understands that we know where he is. I doubt he'll leave the Transwarp, because he needs it for transport, so I'll just bide my time. Besides, I want to know whether that's a PK signal or a Sith Lord. I may just see action here."

"What does PK mean?"

"Pyrokinesis. The elemental power of fire."

"How many powers are there?"

"Well, there's TK, or telekinesis, which is psychic powers, something like my Force abilities. There's PK, of course. I know of HK, or hydrokinesis, which is water. I've also seen heliokinesis, or power over light. Psychokinesis is the ability to control another's thoughts, also one of my Force abilities."

"Wow! Do you have any other powers?"

"I'm a fifth-level oneiromancer. The magician of dreams. I'm also a powerful shadow sorcerer. I learned the dark arts in my three years as Sith. You could probably pick up a few, if you wanted to. The tomes I used still exist. In fact..."

"Cougar, where are you going? It's the middle of the night!"

"It's perfect...I'm going to visit an old friend."

------

"Why does music matter so much in life, Deacon?"

"What in God's name are you talking about?"

"Everything all comes back to the music we listened to as kids. Take this, for example. Just pulled it up from a playlist of all of our favorite shit. I'll take everything from the inside, and throw it all away, because I swear for the last time, I won't trust myself with you."

"That's Linkin Park, right, Kain?"

"Yeah. And there are others. Getting Away With Murder, Burning Bright. Shit, what about Forgotten? The one from Reanimation?"

"I see your point, Kain, but that was eleven years ago, the last time I heard that."

"Then open up your Transwarp. He put four playlists on each one. Cougar, Kain, Deacon, Fire."

"He made a playlist for all of us?"

"Yeah. I've been listening to his. You know his music drove him."

"Yeah, I know that, but how's that gonna help us get him back?"

"We traced his signal. He's in CR 2005, just like he said. We know where and when he is, we just don't want to disturb his search for Ganon. Getting him here physically isn't the problem. It's the loss of Fire. He never got a chance to grieve."

"Well...shit. You placed your vial, right?"

"Yeah, they're all set. We just have to wait out the rest of the week. Deacon, to be honest, I wouldn't have expected this. Three days ago, we installed seven vials in seven Temples, to try to save this land, and that three weeks ago, we were fugitives here."

"It gets hard to fathom sometimes, bro. Shit, the entire final blow in World War III took about this long. And look what it got us. World heroism, and a cryo tube each. But even then, we weren't safe from that bitch."

"You know, about that heroism thing. I've been checking the CR-2005 history tableaus, and they all say the same thing. We were glorified immensely, but the earliest on-record history with any mention of the Great Three is AD 2179. And it mentions an epic battle with Delgado's armies, then the decimation of the Great Three. It mentions Lopez, Vengarh, and Draven. It also makes a note that it was thought the Great Three were in cryo-stasis, but that had been proved false."

"What the fuck? We were in cryo-stasis. How'd they prove it?"

"Something about seeing the actual tubes, and DNA identification."

"So...we were there twice? I don't remember it."

"Then maybe we just found out a little bit about our future."

"I don't want to think about that. I'm gonna go oversee the Gerudo Fortress reconstruction. Later on, Kain."

"Same. I should probably check on the Ghost Road rehabilitation."

"Yeah, what's going on?"

"We're building an actual road, suspended ten feet above the Ghost Road. We're also building walls, and a history museum."

"Sounds like fun. What do you say we meet back in Lon Lon at the end of the week?"

"Sounds good. Later."

------

Cougar wandered down a dark street towards downtown New Chicago. Despite it being well past three in the morning, there were people all over the place. The entire planet ran twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. They'd tried to reorganize the system so that each year had the same amount of days, and they'd re-timed a second a fraction longer, adding six hours a year. It had worked, but now the tedium had decimated the lower classes. Cougar wasn't really worried about crime in New Chicago, and he was armed, just in case, but he wanted to see his old friend, the commissioner of New Chicago's police force, Michael Lewis.

He walked up the steps to the door, amazed at how things had changed in only one year. Where once there had been a fence, a burn mark enclosed the building. He'd never seen vagrants in his time there...but apparently, things had changed. He walked inside, and headed for the receptionist's desk.

"Hi, I wanted to see if Commissioner Lewis was free."

"Sir, Commissioner Lewis hasn't worked here for two months. He's got a warrant out for his arrest on charges of murder. We're trying to find him now. Do you have information on him? If so, I can direct you to our new commissioner."

"Yeah...sure...I might be able to help."

"Okay. His office is down the hall and to the right."

He walked up to the new commish's office, then stopped. He'd felt a massive surge in the Force. He shuddered as he pulled his Transwarp out.

The red dot was on the other side of the door.

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Kain and Deacon stood with Onox and Malon, in the Chamber of Sages in the Light Temple. Each vial had emptied itself automatically, and they were waiting for a result. They looked about, confused and concerned.

The floor shook, such as it was, and the entire Light Temple became engulfed in a flurry of fluorescence. Blinding lightning-like spears of light shot from corner to corner in the room like static on a balloon, and the four covered their eyes for the duration.

Kain was the first to uncover his eyes, and he saw glory in his soul. Seven beings stood in front of them. One Kokiri, one Goron, one Zora, one Gerudo, one Shiekah, and an ancient Hylian stood on the pads.

And in the center stood a young Hylian princess. Zelda Harkinian lived once more.

After the celebrations, the foursome introduced themselves, such as they had to. Zelda knew Onox and Malon was known to all, so she explained things as best they could. Darunia, the Sage of Fire, cocked his head at Kain and Deacon, then asked them to stand on the Fire emblem with them.

All of a sudden, they were in the Fire Temple, surely as it must have been. They were in the Room of Rites in the Temple, what had become Volvagia's room, and standing in front of them was Fire Draven.

"Fire! My God, what's going on?"

"It's simple, Kain. Cougar intended the serum to restore everything, including myself. I...can't go back, Kain. The life you three will lead, now that you're back together, isn't the life for me. I can't deal with all the pain and death. Hell, I couldn't even deal with Veran."

"Fire, he's...not here. Ganon stole your Transwarp, and Cougar took Link after him. We haven't seen him in a month."

"Well...you can still trace him, no doubt. And even if you can follow him, I'd bet he doesn't want you to. If he did, he'd have taken you with him."

"Yeah...probably."

"Well, in the past month, I've been tapping into the fabric of space and time, and I finally found what I wanted. I found Cougar's memory. All of it. What has been, and what will be. That's another reason I've come. I know you know of the records of the late 22nd century. The Three mentioned are you. You just haven't gotten there yet. And, since I know what's going to happen, I decided to give each of you three a gift, the best way I can. For you two, I happened to use my newfound godlike powers for a purpose. Behind you, gentlemen."

Kain and Deacon turned to see the loves of their lives, Amai and Jamie, standing. The two couples embraced warmly, then turned to the Fire God.

"Ahem. I do have one final gift, one for Cougar. This gift can go with Zelda to New Chicago, and is waiting in this very room. You'll find yourselves at the entrance to the Temple of Time. Tell Darunia my thanks for passing this on. Oh, and since I'm the God of Fire now...I'll be checking up on you boys."

The foursome appeared in the Castle Ruins, and started running for Death Mountain. In the crater, they entered the Fire Temple. In Volvagia's room, they saw that Veran's skeleton had been destroyed. They also saw a young woman about their age. Kain walked over to her, and embraced her.

"Hello, Jess." 


	2. Chapter 2: An Uneasy Truce

The Great Three Book Five

Awakenings

Chapter 2: An Uneasy Truce

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A/N: Yeah, I'm going to post The Transwarp Machine at the same time as this. The original plan was for the first chapter to be a two-part spread to bridge Sunrise and Awakenings. However, on reflection, while it is long enough, I didn't split it evenly when I wrote it, so it couldn't work anyway. Not saying that it really mattered, of course. It works better this way, because I'm going to see how long I can chain cliffhangers. Evil Laughter Yes, hate me now.

Story Notes: In the Colonies' Reckoning, the year 2005, Cougar Draven and Link chase after Ganon. In a Transwarp communication, Cougar transmits seven vials for the seven Temples to Kain and Deacon in Hyrule. The vials revive the Seven Sages, and also Fire Draven. In her death, she received deified power, and she chooses this over a life of death. She does, however, give each of the Great Three a gift. Kain is returned his girlfriend, Amai Zetsumei, and Deacon his wife, Jamie. Fire is cryptic about the last gift, and it turns out to be a young woman named Jess. Meanwhile, Cougar, on the trail of a mysterious meta signal on his Transwarp, ends up in the office of his old friend, Mike Lewis, now on the run with a murder charge, and stands one door away from the signal.

Chapter Notes: I love repetition. You'll learn that in time. Also, this will likely be the meat of this story. I'm going to try to keep the chapter count low, so that I can move along with the story. After I finish this, I'm starting on Book One, which will be either a Star Wars fiction, or it just might be the only one of these to be featured at Fiction Press. I don't know yet. Also, the Door of Destiny is the first reference to a longer story arc which I think I can make last until roughly Book Eight.

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Zelda Harkinian had met Kain Vengarh on one previous occasion. She knew of his problems with Veran, and during her capture, Kain had been a prisoner as well. She knew Cougar had known Onox previously as well, but that wasn't really of issue anymore. Onox was a good king.

"Okay, Kain. Let me recap what you've said based on what I knew already. I knew Veran killed Fire and then got completely massacred by Cougar. I knew that Fire spent all her time above searching. We all got to hear the mental battle Cougar went through, you know. I take it this is the Jess he left behind?"

"Yes. This is Jess Draven, Cougar's girlfriend. Well, sort of. Cougar was under the impression that she had left him."

"Well, what happened to her?"

"Jess, you want to answer that?"

"Well, it's...rather odd. I remember the rain, and walking alone. Then I remember a lot of darkness, and a land called Todash. I remember a tower, stretching to the heavens, and a man with guns. Then I remember the death of the old Fire God, and the appointment of Fire Draven. I remember her telling me everything about what had happened to Cougar, and I remember first seeing Amai and Jamie again, for the first time in forever. Then I remember waking up in the Temple. And I waited a few hours for Kain, but that's about it. Everything fell into place at once."

"Yeah...I can understand that. Kain, I know this may seem a little off-topic, but what are we going to do about Cougar and Ganon?"

"Well...that's why I have you two here. We tracked Cougar and Link to New Chicago on the Earth Colonies. We have their signals, but don't want to interfere ourselves. Besides, something makes me feel like Deacon and I won't be allowed to go there. Like only Cougar can finish this. He opened the door, now he's got to close it. However...you can go."

"What?"

"We've got both of their signals, and since I know New Chicago almost by heart, largely from living there for three years, I know that they're staying in some illegal loft housing. I can lock onto Link's signal from here, and get you both there. Cougar's not there, so that won't work, realistically."

"Kain, I do have one question. If they're in a different time, why don't you just transport us in there before he leaves?"

"Because I have a live-update signal on this thing. Each second, it scans all my saved locales and updates them on a by-time basis. And imagine if I'd sent you in there before Cougar sent the serum. He might not have seen the need to create the serum, and without it, you couldn't have been sent there. That could, in theory anyway, destroy the universe."

"So why isn't Cougar in the apartment with Link?"

"I think he's hunting the Sith again. I just hope it's a new Sith. Fuck that, I hope it's not a Sith. I hope he found another elemental."

------

Standing outside the Door of Destiny twelve times, Cougar hadn't felt as apprehensive as this. He'd had no need to then, he'd always known what would come after, even if he couldn't quite remember why he knew. Hell, he couldn't remember why he even knew he'd even seen the mythical Door.

But this was different. There was only one red signal on his Machine, either a very powerful fire elemental, or a Sith.

And PKs couldn't use the Force. Or be felt in it.

So he was apprehensive. He knew that a Lord of the Sith sat behind the door, as the police commissioner of New Chicago. He knew that it wasn't Mike Lewis, but he didn't know who it could be. He'd only known two Sith other than he, and they were both dead.

But he'd seen people return from the dead. Hell, he fully intended to revive both Zelda Harkinian and Fire Draven with the serum he'd sent to Hyrule. So he didn't know what to think about the possible death waiting for him on the other side of that door. So he did the only thing he could, to keep him from thinking.

He opened the door.

And stared at the identity of the signal.

"Honestly, I'm really not surprised."

------

Link was worried. Cougar had said he was going to visit an old friend, and had headed straight towards the red signal on the Machine. It was almost like what Link had said about heading towards Ganon. If he hadn't done that, they might not be in New Chicago now. They might be somewhere else. He had to speak to the silence to quell his frothing mind.

"No time for shoulda-coulda-wouldas now, Link. Keep it together."

He was feeling better about the whole thing, when the world behind him began to shimmer. He spun on his heels, and his jaw dropped. He couldn't even say a word. However, one of the other people could.

"Hello, Link."

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"You know, Deacon..."

Kain stared out from his terrace in Lon Lon Castle. The country was still rebuilding, but a month into Onox's reign, it was clear Hyrule was headed for better times. There were few in the land who weren't outright happy with the way the country was headed. Gendou Ikari and Kain Vengarh were two. Deacon was still undecided, but that was changing fast. Even the return of Amai and Jamie hadn't lessened their feelings. Cougar's disappearance with Link had turned their sentiments against their situation.

"What's up, Kain? Figure out a way to bring Cougar back?"

"Unfortunately, no. I just need to rant. I'm just sick of this video game bullshit."

"What are you talking about, dude?"

"This whole fucking mess, Deacon. This is a serious violation of the fourth wall here, bro. Meta-reality shit going on here, and it's pissing me off. Are you aware of the fact that we're the last four people in this country alike? We were born in a world that knows these people as game characters, and every one of them except Link is a fucking NPC! Gendou and Yui are from an anime where everyone dies! Shit, look at us, Deacon. I was trained by people who come from a movie, and you were trained by a race from a video game. God help the world if everyone else could access this."

"Well, how did we get here?"

"Like fuck if I know, man. This is one big mind-fuck, especially since two of our friends that we've known forever are currently an ungodly amount of time away from us, in an ungodly world. I'm just fuckin' sick of it. Everyone who Cougar came here with is dead, and the hero of this world went with him. I've been here three months, Deacon, and you only one month, and we're the heroes that everyone knows. Shit, nobody knew us, even after Ganon and Morgain were sealed away! We're newcomers and everyone looks up to us! There's something wrong about that."

------

If there was one thing Onox really didn't care for, it was dealing with marauders. Former members of Ganon's Dark Hylian Peace Squad had been attacking Hylia, and with the Hyrule Resettlement Campaign in full swing, he couldn't have roving bandits killing his citizens.

Of course, the outlaws seemed to be organizing, as well. They were forming an army, and he didn't have much of one. Ganon's soldiers had been extremely loyal, and his few men were perhaps twenty in the face of over two thousand. It didn't look good.

He wanted to ask Kain and Deacon for help, but he was sick of having to ask every time something came up, and he imagined that they were just as displeased with their situation. Cougar had told them to wait, and they would wait. Besides, they all knew that Cougar couldn't track them once they left Hyrule, so they would have to wait for him.

Eventually, his pride ran out, and he left to go see the remaining two of the Great Three.

"Kain, Deacon, I have a...question for you."

Kain looked at him, raised a questioning eyebrow, and responded.

"Shoot, man. What's up?"

"Well...I've been having problems with marauders in Hylia. We're trying to resettle Hyrule, and with the bands on the loose..."

"Don't worry about it. We'll handle it. I need something to reduce my stress a little bit. The tedium has been driving me ballistic."

------

In New Chicago, the city was lit twenty-four hours a day. It was early on a Sunday morning, but the few people who were awake at this unusual hour weren't preparing for church, as religion had died with the people of First Earth. Cougar had returned to where he was staying with Link, but had remained on the rooftop to think. He hadn't been surprised at all. Even as he tried to tell himself he was surprised, nothing really got him. He had always expected to see Howler again. He replayed the conversation in his head.

"Howler."

"Oh, hi, Cougar. I wasn't expecting you. I'd thought you were still running around in Hyrule like a waste of Force power."

"Shut up, Howler. I think you know why I'm here."

"Actually, for once, no, I don't. I've only been reborn again for about two months. Do tell, what happened after Kain killed me?"

"It's simple. We destroyed Eastern Castle, fought your little zombie versions of Hunter and Gene, and started taking back Hyrule. We won over Onox, and Deacon came back. Between the three of us, we took out Twinrova, Volvagia, and that fucking amoeba Morpha. Oh, and about ninety percent of the Gerudo, too. And since I was bored, quite a few of the DHPS."

"Congratulations. Not like I care, of course. The domination of a small backwater country means nothing to me. However, I don't see Kain or Deacon, and I don't think you'd ever come back here alone if you could help it. Why are you here, dear boy?"

"Veran."

"She get away from you? My master reports that Ganon was seen here, but I don't know anything about Veran."

"No...she killed Fire. I decimated her in response, and because of that, Ganon was able to steal Fire's Machine and come here. I don't know why here, but I'm going to catch him and kill him. It's all his fault that she's dead."

"Oh, come now, Cougar. Be honest with yourself. It's just as much your fault as it is his, or mine, or hers. We all share that blame. Keep in mind that I fought against Ganon and Morgain initially."

"What turned you?"

"Nothing. I've always been a Sith. I just chose the time to take greater power. In time, I would have had Ganon's spot, if not for you. Not that I care. I'm taking a post here for a short time, and then Master Delgado has work for me elsewhere. She also shares your technology, you know."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"Nothing seems to. Both myself and Lord Delgado are alive and well, yet again, and we all have your tech, your girlfriend is dead, and all you can say is you're not surprised. That concerns me. You're heartless, Cougar."

"No...surprisingly, Howler, I'm not. I should be, though. You were right about that. I've just seen a little too much in life. I expect that whatever I want to happen just...won't. Too many bad things and too many wrong turns have turned me into one of the darker Jedi. I'm close to Mace Windu or Clone Wars-era Master Anakin. Actually, with the explosion of anger I used on Veran, I may have surpassed any native Jedi."

"Now, Cougar, that doesn't surprise me. I know from both Master Delgado and local history that you became a Sith more powerful than even me, and stayed that way for three years. In fact, it was just last year that you destroyed the historical town of Sussex Ridge just west of here."

"I grew up in Sussex Ridge, Howler. So did you. You know damned well that Historic Sussex Ridge was not our home."

"I do have to agree with you on that point. However, we'll need to continue this talk later. I must ask you to leave. As a friend, of course."

"What?"

"I am the commissioner of the New Chicago Police Department. I actually have work to do. Besides, I want you to know that although another battle between us may be inevitable, I'll not attack you during your time here. I'm currently trying to avoid killing Ed Delgado for as long as possible."

"Why? Isn't she your master?"

"Come now, Cougar. You've fought both of us. Delgado hasn't changed at all from when she first began my training, sometime while you were in the chambers with Deacon and Kain. Oh, I've seen Deacon before. I've been her apprentice since I was 15."

"Goddamn...and you hid that from me?"

"Never knew. Keep in mind, you've been here before, spent the length of a war here. I've been here two months. I didn't even know until after you got sent through the Machine, you know. Had nothing better to do for two years until I died that time. Found out about our small philosophical difference...and, well, the rest is history. Although, I will be prepared to lend you a helping hand here."

"How so?"

"Delgado mentioned something about finding Ganondorf and training him. I don't need a replacement, and I'd never train that fucking idiot, even if I was the master. And I am more powerful. I want him dead almost as much as you do. If I come across him, I'll personally deliver him into your hands."

"I assume, then, that you know where I am."

"Of course. I'm no fool."

"I know that, Howler. Before I go, would you happen to know why Mike Lewis is gone?"

"When she took tentative power here, she accused him of murdering someone she killed. I'll bide my time, then reveal the truth. If I find your friend, I'll make sure he gets to you. It's that simple."

"I...thank you, Howler."

"We always were friends, Cougar. For now, put the philosophy aside."

"I'll..try. I'm still going to try to kill Delgado."

"Oh, please. I'll help you there."

"See you around."

He had left, and gone back. Along the way, he had done some searching for Mike, but, finding nothing, just waited on the rooftop until he was completely in tune with the Force. Then he asked the question on his mind.

What does it matter to be dark or light? Am I right, or is he?

The last thing he heard before sleep claimed him was the answer from the Force.

NEITHER OF YOU IS RIGHT, AND NEITHER IS WRONG. RIGHT AND WRONG ARE SUBJECTIVE POINTS. WHAT MATTERS IS NOT WHAT YOU DO, NOR HOW YOU DO IT, BUT WHY.

------

Normally, Link was quick to adjust to certain things, but this was new. He had always known Cougar and Fire were together, but the knowledge that Jess and Cougar had been together long before was shocking. He'd never heard the name, and he suspected that both Kain and Fire assumed that the other didn't know Jess existed, from the way they'd spoken about Cougar's past. It became clear that Jess had been well aware of both Nicole Lorne and Matthew Cane in their first lives, and the subtle change in surrounding hadn't surprised her much.

What had surprised her was the identities of who she was with. She'd played the games that Zelda and Link had come from as a child, but she'd never expected to meet them, indeed, to be assisting them in a war. Link had tried to explain the way he'd met Cougar, but even then, somehow, something was missing. Somewhere in time, John Hetfield, Matthew Cane, and Uriel Lopez had crossed a line, and when he came back, Cougar had brought some of that with him. Now everything was wrong.

"No, I'm not saying I don't believe you exist. I'm saying that somewhere along the line, our worlds got mixed. I don't know if that's good, or bad, but if Ganondorf Dragmire truly is in this land, then we must kill him."

"You know, Jess, you're more level-headed than Cougar is."

"Always have been. He lets his emotions rule him most of the time. It's too bad. Fire was good for him."

"You...knew?"

"Of course I did. They knew each other long before he knew me, and it would be stupid of me to assume that nothing had happened between them. I'm not the jealous type."

"Yeah...I get that. Oh...Ganon's here. We've seen him."

"I take it Cougar's out hunting for him."

"Actually, he said he was going to visit an old friend, but he headed straight for that other signal on the Machine?"

"What other signal?"

"I don't know. He said either a powerful fire elemental, or a Sith. I don't care, I just want to kill Ganon and go home."

"Where is Cougar right now?"

"It...well, shit, it looks like he's here. Let's check the roof. He's known to do that."

------

Zelda led the party, with Link behind her, and Jess trailing. She hadn't seen Cougar since he disappeared, and he had aged almost six years since then. She'd never met Jess before they were resurrected, but the former Princess of Hyrule liked the quiet Draven. She guessed that Jess had many things in her past she'd like to forget, and Zelda respected that. She could expect nothing less from herself as a Harkinian.

Link, on the other hand, was concerned. Cougar usually didn't wait this long to come back from a walk, and he had never gone anywhere in the dead of the night like this. He'd come back early in the morning, and stayed on the roof without checking the apartment. Something was wrong.

Link took the lead to open the door to the roof, and walked toward Cougar, gently shaking him when he saw that he was sleeping. Cougar sat up, staring blankly at Link, and both Zelda and Jess suppressed a gasp. Five years of hiding, war, and death had changed him from the fierce man Zelda had known. For Jess, it was worse. The last time she'd seen him, he'd been a strong young man, before the mess with the Force and wars with Ed Delgado. He'd been strong, attractive, and caring. Now, all that was left of him didn't even show anymore.

Eyes of a brilliant blue had faded away into a dim grey, and sunken in, surrounded by deep circles of purple that was nearly crimson. His hair, once soft when short and luxurious when long, had grown to a medium length, and having been unkempt, looked haggard. He had scars on his body from a thousand battles, and he looked tired. He'd slept quite some time, but he looked like he hadn't slept in three days.

Where he had once stood a proud warrior, he now stood a broken soul.

"Hey, Link. How's it going?"

"Cougar? What happened? You look ten years older."

"What happened...I'll tell you what happened. I failed. It's time you go home."

"What? What are you talking about?"

Cougar stood, apparently oblivious to the two female figures, and walked to the edge of the roof, peering into the sky to the east, and the rising sun.

"It's simple, Link. I failed to stop this at the beginning. Somehow, I changed something about the world, and to fix it, I need to die. When that happens, everything else should go back to normal. Ganon will be trapped in the Sacred Realm, you and Zelda will be alive and well, and likely getting married, Fire won't be fucking dead, Jess won't have left me, because she'll have never known me. The Dravens wouldn't have had to end as zombie soldiers under the control of the Sith, and Howler wouldn't be the fucking Dark Lord of the Sith, sitting in the same fucking city we're in."

"What?"

"Remember I said I was visiting a friend? When I was here, both as Jedi and Sith, I knew a man named Mike Lewis. We called him Phoenix. He didn't care whether I was good or evil, and he helped me regain my inner strength, what little hadn't been destroyed by the wars and the running. Now he's gone, replaced by my best friend and worst enemy. Wish me luck on the other side, Link. I just don't have what it takes anymore."

Cougar looked back at Link, steeling his gaze, then closed his eyes and fell backward into the sky. 


	3. Chapter 3: Falling Apart

The Great Three Book Five

Awakenings

Chapter 3: Falling Apart

------

A/N: Ok, I'm back. It's been eight damn months since I last brought the smack down, and this is a gift for a friend. I'm restarting this chapter, and I just might bring the old one into this, if I can get a copy of it.

Story Notes: Cougar opens the door to the New Chicago Police Commissioner's office to find none other than Howler Draven. The Draven Brothers then carry on a peaceful conversation, in which they seem to form a truce against Ganon and the openly reborn Ed Delgado. Meanwhile, Kain Vengarh and Deacon Lopez ruminate on their seemingly impossible condition, but choose to assist Onox in defeating rebel parties that are damaging his reign in Hyrule as King. Jess Draven and Zelda Harkinian, fresh from being resurrected, Transwarp to New Chicago, and with Link, head up to the roof. There they find a ravaged Cougar, who laments on his situation, and the control he may have had over it, then plummets from the roof.

Chapter Notes: I loved this cliffhanger, and I really wasn't meaning to let it hang this long. This might be it, when I re-introduce the character that hasn't actually been seen in this series as written, and who will have been missing for two books: Cassandra "Ed" Delgado...and the cliffhanger rests on my favorite "secret" of the Great Three series.

------

"Well, well. Howler, m'boy. Didn't expect to see you alone in this part of Chicago."

Howler turned slowly. He'd been on his way back to his apartment from the office, and hadn't quite expected a mugging. Especially from someone who apparently knew him. On his pivot, his hand slowly dropped to his belt level, to draw his lightsaber in case of emergency. Once he saw the skin tone of his opponent, his tension heightened.

"Ganon."

The seven-foot-tall green-skinned man laughed at Howler. He'd been following him for the last day on Delgado's orders, and seen everything. He knew enough to have Howler killed, but he'd rather do it on his own.

"You know how long I've been following you? Well, hell, not like it matters. I know a lot right now, you little traitor. Rather kill me yourself?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I would rather kill you myself, Ganon. We never got along, even when we were on the same side."

"Well...I won't argue it, but I've expressed issues with Master Delgado. She seems to agree that you've...lost the faith. It's time I took care of any issues with your loyalty."

"Ganon, you must be crazed. You couldn't take Link one-on-one, and we both know I'm stronger than he is. What on earth makes you think you could beat me?"

Ganon drew a red lightsaber, prompting Howler to draw his own blade. Red coursed through the night sky, illuminating Ganon's face as he grinned like a madman.

"Oh, I don't know. Call it a hunch."

------

General Harmford was by no means a small man, but he didn't stack up to three hundred rebel fighters. So he'd called his master, and Onox had sent the best thing the country could have ever had: two members of the Great Three. Kain and Deacon were fierce fighters on their own, and had done quite a lot. Kain had defeated Volvagia, and had helped free Eastern Castle from Howler Draven. Deacon had defeated most of the Gerudo forces in the west, and had slain both evil witches, Koume and Kotake. Between the two of them, they had defeated the ReDead soldiers that had been Dravens before, and convinced Onox to turn against Ganondorf.

And yet, despite their seemingly limitless power, they paled in comparison to the glory that the missing Cougar Draven held. He had defeated Morgain twice, and Ganon himself couldn't defeat him. Link the Hero held Cougar in the highest respect possible, and Cougar had raised the Seven Sages from across time and space. It was in his name that Onox continued work on Hyrule, because without Cougar Draven, Hyrule would be as nothing.

"Ok, Harm, that's it. It's time to start getting serious."

Kain Vengarh crashed to the ground, panting and sweating, from the third phase of a long battle against rebels. There were only three hundred, but these were the best of the Dark Hylian army, and the two warriors didn't have the cover of darkness to aid their pursuits. It was difficult going. Kain turned his head to his comrade.

"Deacon! How long we been fighting, man?"

"Three hours now? Why? How many've we killed?"

"Oh, I don't know...about ten. This is going to kill us, isn't it?"

"Just maybe. Let's go. We got us some work to do."

Harmford watched the men go, then picked up his sword. He was under orders from Onox not to fight with his men, because he'd been revived once, but this would take courage. He ran into the fray, screaming a battle call snarled from the depths of his being.

"Hylia!!!"

------

New Chicago was treated to a spectacular show on that early Sunday morning, watching the two red beams crash and tumble against one another repeatedly. Ganon and Howler had never officially fought, and had only met once before this, but they knew that this would end it. One would survive, and that one would be the heir to the Sith throne.

------

A hidden figure watched quietly, enjoying the fight. He didn't know either man personally, but knew enough to hide his Force signature from the fighters, and from the Transwarp Network. He knew that these men were fighting for Delgado's Sith crown and the right to kill her, but he didn't care about any throne, despite his extensive knowledge of the Dark Side.

"Melchior."

His partner whispered from behind him in the shadows, prompting him to step back into them. He nodded, and the two descended into the New Chicago underworld, one rogue Sith, and one assassin. They had accomplished their goal, and copied the data from the Transwarp Machines in the possession of both men.

------

Link could do nothing as Cougar leaped to the edge of the rooftop, spun around wildly, then dropped backwards.

He could then do nothing but gape, as Cougar slid gently down the slope of ice that had conjured, and landed softly on his rear. He could, however, feel the seething rage from the princess of ice, Jess Draven.

"So that's it? You're going to give up. You're going to just fall into the sky, because you think that your death will undo the damage that you think you've caused. Did mine fix what I did? Zelda? Fire?"

Cougar winced, but Jess continued.

"I don't understand, John. You used to be so tall, so strong, so there. Now you've let everything get inside your head and destroy you. You let that bitch Delgado take what was mine, and then destroy it, just because it was mine. You let her make you a pawn in a game, a game that's been over for four thousand years, by this calendar. You need to chill out, and take control of your own life for once. And I'm not talking about jumping off this FUCKING roof. I'm talking about taking out those who you came to get. Oh, and one more thing. I never left you, I died. I don't remember much, but it was cold then. Now get up and move on, Cougar Xerxes Draven."

Cougar slowly stood, quivering at the knees slightly, then collapsed into a fierce embrace with Jess, sobbing.

"God, I've missed you."

"I know you have, dear. It's time to set things right. And what was that whole best friend and worst enemy stuff?"

"Well, it's--"

"--Cougar...what's that?"

Link suddenly broke the moment, pointing to a pair of flashing red lights. Cougar whipped out his Transwarp, and blanched as one of the lights died.

"Ohh...FUCK."

Cougar turned to the other three, wide-eyed.

"Stay here. I'll be back shortly."

Leaving no explanation, Cougar shot from rooftop to rooftop, leaving his Transwarp clattering on the roof next to Link's feet.

------

Ganon side-stepped, avoiding a strike from Howler, then deftly flicked his blade to the side, neatly slicing the other man's lightsaber at the hilt. He spun and kicked Howler in the chest, knocking the smaller man to the ground, and stepped on his chest.

"How pathetic. I expected more from Delgado's favorite student. I guess you don't have to worry about her killing you, though, so that's some small consolation."

Ganon's powerful arms flexed, and his blade fell towards Howler.

------

Cougar's Transwarp chirped, and Link put it on a platform so they could all see it, then accepted the read-only message from Deacon.

"Cougar, I know you can't respond to this right away, but we need a hand when you've got one to give. Ganon trained these motherfuckers well, and they're cutting through our boys like hot knives through butter. It's almost like our army isn't even here. Kain and I have been going at it for close to six hours, and we haven't even taken out a dozen of these guys. It's almost like they're not human...and they might not be."

Deacon coughed, and he started shaking.

"That's not even all of it, bro. Harmford...they killed him. He disobeyed a direct order from Onox to not fight, but he couldn't resist helping his men. They got him in the last skirmish, and now Onox wants to come down here and fight them himself. I think that when Veran lost it, he lost his reason to continue, and this country's not even a month free. This isn't going to end well, Cougar. We really need a hand in this, and you're the only one with the ability to give any such hand."

------

Ganon struggled, but he just couldn't make the blade reach Howler. After a moment, he noticed the reason: there was a silver blade in the way. And only one Jedi family used silver. He swung his blade around towards Cougar, who hopped back, striking out. The two warriors stared each other in the eye, and the silence was broken by Cougar.

"Hi, Ganon. Been a while. Didn't know if you knew this, but I'm just a little pissed off at you right now. See, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have to have come here. So you and I are going to have a little chat. Well...we will in a minute."

Cougar knocked Ganon down, then threw him through a wall nearby, jumping in after him.

------

Deacon coughed again, and winced at the sound of screaming men behind him, as the image of him began to flicker.

"Cougar, I'll say this only once, because Kain needs a hand. Everything is falling apart, and I think that the real-time comparison you locked in was a bad idea, man. We need your help, but I don't even think that'll save us now. We just want to know who you want us to bring with when we run, because as far as I'm concerned, this country is dead. We failed, Cougar. I'm sorry."

Deacon's image faded, and Link stared blankly.

"Well...at least I know how he's been keeping up with them now. I just wish he'd told me. I'd have said we should just go back. The country's always been more important than my little bullshit with Ganon. I should be there, damn it!"

Jess looked at Zelda, nodded, and walked to the edge of the roof. Zelda sat Link down, and sat next to him.

"Link, you can't do everything anymore. You're not all-powerful, baby. I love you, but sometimes, things just have to go the way you don't want them to."

Link started crying softly, and Zelda held him close, while Jess mused. Finally, her head snapped up, and she whirled to face the couple.

"Link. This thing can track Cougar, right?"

"Yeah...why?"

"Do you want to go back and help? Maybe we can get him to go with you."

"O...okay. Let's go."

------

Cougar walked up to Howler, and helped his ally to stand.

"Howler, do you have your Transwarp on you?"

"Yeah, I do, why?"

"I have a place for you to go. I have a feeling that it's about to get ugly here, and I know where they're planning on going."

"Where?"

"I'll transmit the coordinates. I got them from Ganon's Transwarp, and I can only verify them because I've had them stored for two days."

"How?"

"It's a long story. I'll explain when I see you over there. Go quickly."

"Perhaps you boys should consider the facts of your existence before ruining them."

Cougar and Howler turned, and faced the Dark Lord of the Sith. Ed Delgado was not a person who stood out in crowds much, and even when she was noticed, it was because of her beauty. She was an attractive woman, with brown hair and an excellent body. It was her eyes, her shining blue eyes, that truly conveyed the evil in her soul, and those eyes were glowing with a fierce hatred, a fact only made worse by the red lightsaber in her hand. Cougar drew his silver saber, never taking his eyes off Delgado.

"Delgado. Shit, this is just becoming Reunion Palace. When I kill you, I'll talk to the city council about setting up a Transwarp Network Reunion Site here. This is the perfect place for it."

"When you kill me?"

"Good point. You just don't fucking die."

------

Jess led Link and Zelda through the early morning sky, shooting across the city on a sheet of ice. Zelda and Jess were listening to Link explain the tracking system utilized by the Transwarp.

"Well, I suppose it's based on the fact that Cougar and Kain are called Jedis or something. That's Cougar there, that silver dot. I think it's because his laser sword, or whatever, is silver. Kain's is a gold dot. Those red ones were those red swords we saw earlier, but I don't know who the third one is, or either of the other two, for that matter. Jess, your dot is light blue, and Zelda, yours is a different shade of blue."

"What about your color?"

"Green."

"Why green?"

"I don't know, really. It just is. Always has been."

------

Deacon and Kain sat back to back, exhausted. They had decided to use Kain's last solid-state grenade to scatter their enemies, and sat in the middle of the destroyed battlefield until Onox showed up. The nine-foot-tall King didn't look pleased, but seemed worried about the two warriors.

"What happened here?"

Deacon turned and almost fell.

"Oh, hey, Onox. We took care of most of them, but not all of them. I think we've got a week left, then we're fucked. Oh, Harmie said he was sorry."

"Sorry for what? I told him not to fight, but I didn't expect him to listen. He did what he needed to do, so he will receive the hero's burial he deserves."

"Well...that's good. Wake us up when it's time for that, then."

Onox was about to respond, when he saw that both men were asleep. He sent soldiers to collect their unconscious bodies, and had them brought to the castle, where they were to be treated as gods. He then sat with Gendou Ikari, discussing their plight over a fire.

"It's difficult, Master Ikari. My general and my armies are dead, and the only ones who survived are weak and tired because of these fighters. What are they? Why can't we kill them?"

"I'm not sure, Onox. If I knew, I'd tell you how to kill them, but I can't. Have you tried to contact Master Draven yet?"

"Deacon said he would, but I don't know if he did or not. If he did, there was no answer."

"Hm. That does present issues. Suppose Ganon has triumphed?"

"No, were that the case, he would come back to attempt to take this land from me."

"Yes, there is that. I wonder what could be taking them so long."

"Perhaps their battle is complicated. Perhaps they found the one they wanted to hunt, Delgado or such."

------

"Is it really my fault that you were inadequate?"

"Fuck you, Cassie."

"My name is no longer--"

"--Cassandra Delgado, shut the FUCK up!"

Cougar, Howler, and Ed looked suddenly at their new visitors. Link and Zelda stayed off to one side, but Jess walked right up to Ed and slapped her across the face.

"I am sick of your bullshit, little sister."

------

A/N: Oh, SHIT! Jess and Ed are sisters? Whatthefuck? More in the next chapter! 


End file.
